The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-09-25
A FINANCIER OF BLOOD AND IRON.
Something of Interest Concerning
Henry Willard.

henry VllldrQ.
New YORK, Sept A-"Do You know
that man over there!" asked broker, in
Delmonico's the other day. He indicated a
large man with German cast of features
quietly taking his lunch at one of the small
marble-t topped tables on the first floor of
Delmonico's Broad street establishment. 1t
is here that brokers and financers come for
hasty lunch when they have no time for a
more leisurely repas5 upstairs. Crowds
are constantly surging through from Broad
to New street, either making the long tessel-
ated room a public highway to the rear
entrance of the Stock Exchange or stopping
at the bar, or standing in long row at the
lunch counter, or chatting at the cigar
stand, or eagerly watching the stock indi-
Gator In the rush and hustle of the crowd
the heavy faced German at one of the little
side tables would hardly have been noticed
A glance showed him to be one who is
known on two continents as an intrepid
financier. 1t was Henry Willard. Public
attention has again been drawn to him
from the fact that he has again become a
director in the Northern Pacific railroad
He is native of Bavaria aud is now about
so years of age. He came to this country
some years before the war and went West,
where he became connected with German
newspaper. He is one of a number of
journalists who have won celebrity in
finance. Jay Gould as boy had some con-
nection with journalism. The Hon. S. V.
White used to be a reporter on a st. Louis
journal James r. Keene was the editor of
a California newspaper, and others of a
lesser degree of financial fame have furn-
nished copy" as reporters for that insa-
table monster, the newspapersoress.
Henry Wizards real name is Heinrich
Hilgarde. On entering the Union army at
the outbreak of the war mistake was
made in entering his name. The recruiting
Sergeant understood him to give it as
Willard instead of Hilgarde. The name
Heinrich could of course be very correctly
anglcized as Henry, and finding himself
entered as Willard he thereafter retained
that name 1t recalls the fact that u. $.
Grant was U. II. Grant until the Congress
man who secured his appointment as
cadet at West Point changed the initials by
a mistake in making out the necessary
papers There has been some gossip, to Mr..
Wizards detriment, growing out of this
change of name, but there was no sinister
reason for the alteration and no romance
can be built upon it. Subsequently he
became a war correspondent for a New
York evening paper and still later acted as
Washington correspondent for the same
journal. While in Washington he became
identified with the Northern Pacific enter
prise through his influence with capitalists,
who invested large sums in what was at first
a blind pool Willard said to them. 1--WE got
a big thing and want you to put some
money into it, but / can't tell you what it is
at present" Jay Cooke had dropped the
Northern Pacific and his other enterprises a
bankrupt in 1878. His creditors left him
his Notheren Pacific stock, which was con-
sidered of no value, and also considerable
property in Duluth. which was then con-
sidered mere skeleton city, but of which
Jay Cooke predicted that it would yet be-
come one of the great grain markets of the
Northwest This prediction, by the way.
has been verified. Property worth in 1873
a song is now worth millions. Duluth owes
Proctor Knott a large advertising bill and
has never paid him anything but chaR and
ridicule Knott first brought the zenith city
of unsateJ seas prominently before the
country.
Well, il was through the purchase of jay
Cookies interest and that Of others IN the
Northern Pacific that Willard came to the
front He pushed the railroad forward and
drove the golden spike, of which the
world has heard SO much. Then came the
reaction: difficulties beset the road, the
value of the stock steadily declined, in spite
of the glowing prophecies as 10 its future,
and in the end Henry Willard stepped down
from his seat Of power as railroad prince,
shorn OF his honors and MS fortune, anu
broken IN health. He was at one time said
10 be worth $l0,0O0,00O
The reporter had rubbed Aladdin's lamp
10 some purpose TO acquire such fortune.
He now returned 20 his native land, and
in time regained his health About year
ago he returned 10 this country, took an
Office in the great Mills building, on Broad
street. and proceeded quietly 20 push his
way back into the financial arena 70 meet
the other great railroad gladiator. He was
backed by wealthy bankers " Berlin. Now
al length. he il again In the Northern Pacific
directorate. not as a dead Cd on horseback
in ghastly semblanoe Of life, but genuine
live leader with The siBews Of hnanciel hfe
nj his command and cleared field for
Operations tie has negoticated s3me bg
loans already IN connection with enterprises
In the Northwest, and no" he seems " Dr
Arranging for loan ~ some Ten millions
10 The Northern paeihr. We - on his way
10 ananaal rehabilitation
la person Ne y tell on1 po.efuiiY bpii
wsalf heavy dafk I8ou fefhe, has biHf'f
fai, and Il inclined 10 hal1nft1, ANe Sffs